volley theory

the principle that individual fibers in an auditory nerve respond to one or another stimulus in a rapid succession of rhythmic sound stimuli, whereas other fibers in the nerve respond to the second, third, or nth stimulus. The result is that successive volleys of impulses are fired to match the inputs of stimuli, yet no single fiber is required to respond to every stimulus. Thus, a nerve can reflect a more rapid frequency of stimulation (e.g., 1000 Hz) than any individual fiber could follow. Also called volley principle. See also hearing theories. [proposed in 1949 by Ernest Glen Wever]

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

consumer-driven health care

an approach to health care cost containment that lets consumers decide how to spend dollars earmarked for health and mental health care. Instead of providing insurance with a low deductible for employees, an employer might fund a high-deductible insurance policy and a tax-advantaged account such as a health savings account, a health reimbursement account, or another medical payment product that consumers could use to help meet the high deductible. Because consumers can shop for and choose the doctors that they want to see and the procedures that they want done, this type of care is posited to bring competition to the health services market and more control to consumers, although the benefits and effectiveness of this arrangement are being debated.